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Bookmark this pageIf Only (1998)
Director: Maria Ripoll
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Victor Bukowski (Henshall) is a struggling an actor. Sylvia (Headey) broke up with him after he confessed to an affair, and now she's decided to marry someone he despises. Nothing for it but to slump over a drink and pour it all out to barmaid Diane (McGovern), who might just be a mysterious catalyst for change. Unlikely as it sounds, a magic umbrella and the intervention of some Spanish bin men are about to give Victor an unexpected second chance. What if he went back in time and didn't own up to his infidelities? This patchy comedy with a twist begins to creak when it strains for Quixotic fantasy, lays on the Notting Hill local colour with a trowel, and awkwardly introduces Cruz as belated, unpersuasive love interest. Most winning, however, is the mid-section where Henshall gets to retrace his own footsteps, and a piercing eye is cast over the tensions between trust and temptation. Henshall may not be everyone's idea of a romantic leading man, but he's hassled, human, bitterly funny, and he matures before our very eyes. And Headey is perfectly cast as the beautiful but vacant Sylvia.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: Maria Ripoll
Producer: Juan Gordon
Cast: Lena Headey, Douglas Henshall, Penelope Cruz, Gustavo Salmeron, Mark Strong, Elizabeth McGovern full cast
Duration: 95 mins
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